Chinatown

I intended to take a walk around Russian Hill today, but I bogged down in Chinatown. Here are some pictures. Despite being very touristy, Chinatown is a functioning community for the people who live here. There are churches, schools, banks and a Chinese hospital in addition to all the restaurants, bars, and myriad of discount importers.



















Loose tea for sale:







San Francisco has some great vintage signery.



Unfortunately, I'm never here at night to photograph them turned on.









Certain citrus fruits have symbolic associations with the Chinese New Year:

"Tangerines, Oranges, Pomelos: Tangerines and oranges are frequently displayed in homes and stores. Tangerines are symbolic of good luck, and oranges are symbolic of wealth. These symbols have developed through a language pun, the word for tangerine having the same sound as 'luck' in Chinese, and the word for orange having the same sound as 'wealth'. Pomelos are large pear-shaped grapefruits."

Tea bar:



Regular bar. Li Po is something of an institution.



Don't worry--Chinatown has souvenirs for gardeners too. The best kind.





I did not buy any, but I was tempted.





What do you think these are?



Meanwhile, California is on sale for only $3.99. Still too much?